When Bob Dylan wrote his seminal song “The Times They Are a-Changin’” back in 1964, he wanted to create an anthem for change. Not surprisingly, this song became the archetypal protest song for so many other movements – in addition to the successful anti-war movement of the ’60s.

Now we see the times changin’ for Nepal’s captive elephants, particularly in one of the most successful and prominent jungle resorts in the nation: Tiger Tops. Check out this new video to see how:

From about 1964 until just recently, Nepal’s captive elephants working in jungle resorts have been chained and abused, suffering under horrific conditions hidden from tourists. But now, at least one jungle resort has taken the high-road and offers a more humane way to interact with Nepal’s most magnificent creature.

circa. 1965: Bob Dylan @ London Zoo

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slowest now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fading
And the first one now will later be last
Cause the times they are a-changing

from The Times They Are a-Changin’ by Bob Dylan, 1964

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The plight of Samrat Gaj, a baby elephant at Sapana Village Lodge in Sauraha, Chitwan, draws the attention to the suffering of elephants born into the safari tourism industry in Nepal. Their abuse includes chaining, separation from the mother, cruel training, beatings and premature labour.

Born as a healthy calf on January 6, 2014, to mother Srijana Kali, Samrat Gaj was everyone’s darling at first. Successful births are rare among safari elephants, and Samrat seemed the happy exception. To enable the owner, Dhruba Giri, to unchain mother Srijana Kali and her calf, animal welfare organisations Himalayan Animal Trust and Animal Nepal supported with funds to build a chain free corral. The conditions were that the baby would be trained humanely, not work before the age of 13, and that the corral would be maintained.

When mother and baby were unchained and enabled to graze, scratch, play and sleep out in the open, and a humane trainer started his job, Samrat Gaj seemed to be one of the few elephants in captivity enjoying a happy childhood.

Chitwan and elephant safaris seem to be synonyms. Most parents who bring their kids to to the jungle want to give them the experience of riding an elephant. So why do we oppose elephant rides? And is there an alternative? We recently visited Chitwan to find out.

It is early morning and we are moving through the jungle. We are far away from the busy touristy town of Sauraha (also known as Little Thamel). The luscious green buffer zone is filled with the sounds of birds and some barking deer. We are about to spot a male rhino, who is taking a bath in a mud pool close to the river.

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A stunning post at Global Citizen posits “Elephants could be the next generation’s dinosaurs” and highlights the latest results from the Great Elephant Census. What that implies is that our children (and our children’s children) may only be able to see African Elephant bones & dioramas in natural history museums, instead of seeing them alive and roaming on the savanna.

“With only 352,271 left (excluding those that may live in Namibia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic), elephants may become the next generation’s dinosaur — an extinct creature of wonder. In fact, it’s likely that hundreds more elephants have died since the census was completed.”

As lovers of dinosaurs past, this is not what we want to see in our future. What say you?

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This article from The Observer details how Sri Lanka’s elephants are often abused during buddhist festivals there. From this report:

“Amateur videos showing elephants being abused by handlers during one of Sri Lanka’s biggest Buddhist festivals have recently emerged. This type of abuse is not new: our Observer, a veterinarian in Sri Lanka, says that elephant owners and authorities turn a blind eye to this type of behaviour for both financial and political reasons.”

This behavior is similar to what happens here in Nepal during Hindu festivals, where captive elephants are forced to behave contrary to their nature, and are housed adequately and kept chained by the leg when not “in use.”

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Elephant Watch Nepal today issued a statement saying elephant riding in Nepal has not improved, despite claims by the industry. The statements responds to recent write ups promoting elephant safaris, claiming conditions are better here compared to Thailand and that the industry has improved conditions. In its statement EWN explains why elephant rides do not benefit conservation, nor the elephants, nor the country in general.

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EWN has launched a campaign to lobby for the retirement of the handicapped, 70+ safari elephant Pawan Kali. The elderly female suffers from countless health problems, including malnutrition, open wounds, a deformed leg, and scarring across the body. She is … Continue reading →